


The Camo Vest

by TransBunnyRabbit



Series: "I Love You, Javi" [3]
Category: The New Frontier, The Walking Dead, The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game), Twd - Fandom, season 3 - Fandom
Genre: A Soldier He Was, Boys In Love, Brother/Brother Incest, Fluff and Angst, Insomnia, Light Corpse Affection, Lullabies, M/M, Missed texts, No Zombie Apocalypse, Not Actual Song lyrics, Sibling Incest, Went Out Fighting, no comfort, poetic love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-18 03:07:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29111301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TransBunnyRabbit/pseuds/TransBunnyRabbit
Summary: He honestly didn't think it was his, but as he lifted the casket of the wooden polished, coffin, he couldn't stop himself from permitting a heartache.(SHORT I KNOWW)He wasn't there for his papa's death, and now he wasn't there for his brother's.Totally not addicted to this ship <.<
Relationships: David García & Gabriel García, David García & Kate García, David García/Javier García (Walking Dead), Gabriel García & Javier García, Javier García & Kate García
Series: "I Love You, Javi" [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2136906





	The Camo Vest

That vest held into one of the most ignorant people he'd ever known, but the most glorious, and the most trustworthy man he'd ever known. Given a contagious lump of respect, settling in his throat. Frozen. As if frozen in time, the ice-cold zipper, shaking through the wind. A bigger whelp of tears rolling down the quivering lips, almost rolling down a squeezing throat. Tempting to hold the cries, that wasn't the first break out. He knew better than to cry in front of those not considered family.

The vest hung from the shoulders of an impotent man, that man was the starstruck of their father's eyes. The son he had always wanted, and the fuck up that never was allowed to express himself. When was his time to shine ever gonna be taken to part? Well, now he knew. After his brother passed. The camo only added to the scent of the bombs it was attracted to, the gunpowder, the smell of war. Of course, he died fighting, he wouldn't have wanted it a better way. The fear that he thought would never come, things were too great at the time, well, at least he had thought. 

Laying behind the curtains of the darkened room, the attention of the sun paying the earth no mind. The blacking out the room and dimming the sunshine from the room's presence. The same sniffing, taking in the life from his body, weakly laying back down as his arms hooked, the clasp of his shaking nails never letting up. 

Holes and rips in the pockets of the breasts, the younger sibling would've thought it was nothing like home if they weren't there. The bloodstains, not even the soldiers, were his own. His brother's blood splatter in intensity all over the front and crusted in the back. The sheets he was under however weren't a substitute for the loss of an entire living being. His heart served on a platter for the soldiers of the arm, he dedicated everything to them, and this was how they repay him for all he's done for them. The baseball player wished he hadn't let him go. 

Reminiscing on the nights the two couldn't sleep and would call each other to come over and cuddle. Grazing the skin of the fallen man, the body of his brother was sent to his home. Kate had already said her goodbyes, and so with Gabe. They thought to send his body to his brother, which was the right thing to do, but when they left, Javier had to see. He had to unleash the hell on his own body, though he knew he wasn't prepared, he didn't have a choice but to. He needed his closure. 

While upon seeing his brother's dead body, he held it close to him, legs clinging to the shoulder blades of the back. Vest still hooked around his arms, he couldn't help but feel deceived by the dog-tags around his neck, they were left with him, maybe he asked when he died to be buried with them. An honorable request. Or when Kate called, she told him that David didn't care for the burial of his body, only his tags. Javier would do as asked, but with the body included. He couldn't be that mad about it, hell, it's not like he would be able to do anything anyway. 

Lips flaring the left cheek of the corpse, the poses were familiar, the sounds were familiar, drawn curtains and closed doors were familiar, the smell of David's hair, it was all too familiar for his heart to handle. It felt like his heart was on its knees, strangling his strings attached to the pumping organ. Arms plumbing the legs to move him closer as he flooded his pupils over David's eyelids. Resting on the outside barrier of the glossy eye. Kissing his forehead, neck, chin, nose, he couldn't deny, the corpse he grazed with his fingers and legs against all odds, way too cold. 

Feeling the blanket of unsustainable heat, not enough to give and bring life into the body that had been shot in the war. They said they tried everything to bring him back, they even tried electrocuting him, petrified by how still it was, no thumping, no beating, no 'Bum-Bum', 'Bum-Bum', 'Bum-Bum'. He'd have to eventually get up, he missed thirteen phone calls from the league. How wonderful that was. 

Bittersweet feelings, the impact of knowing that he would never feel his body kiss back, no hugging back, no more cuddling in bed, nor singing to sleep. Yes, he would sometimes sing his brother to sleep when he couldn't himself. Voice light and trancing, whatever word was to come from his orifice wouldn't be a violent one, never claiming anything horrible in the things he sang. Usually about their lives, but in rhythms that the two could understand, about the emotional things that David couldn't talk about. He would listen and talk if it were sung to him. 

'A Man Whose Hairs Comply To The Whistling Sound, Of His Love~' 

David's love brung to the one he loves so closely, the woman he'd die for, over and over again. Minding the gap of fizzled and muffled care, Kate wasn't the only one to lose such a great man in that way. 

'A Man Whose Heart Cradles The Company Of The Most Dearest Ones~' 

Javier, their papa, Gabe, those of living status, the lover debugging Javier's homeless ass, he was the one that helped him get the house. He helped pay it off for a while until Javier got a job, even generous enough to get him his car and all the furniture in his house. He'd never forget what his brother had done for him, never in a million years, nor about what he would do for him. That's why this hurt so much, he never got to pay back for everything his brother gave him. 

'Fearful Of The Loss Of Any In His Life,' 

He was an overprotective father, upon being a lover to both his wife and brother. Protecting his family was the most important priority of his life. No one that lived under his roof left the house without telling him where they were going, having their phone fully charged, and having their location on at all times. He always stressed about the smallest things, not even letting Javier go to a house party. It always bothered Javier but he couldn't really fight back, as much as he wanted to use the 'This Is My House' excuse, he couldn't, because the House wasn't in his name. 

'The Company He Brings Course Meaningful-ness Into The Light~' 

The others as the ones he loves to heart, those who are subtle but were introduced and bring into their family, they are people that all can get along with. Everyone must love the person before they come into their family, it's David's rule. He doesn't want to make them feel uncomfortable. 

'And May You Be Well Far Upon Your Journies into War,' 

Preferring to war the best way that he could. He didn't know much about his careers, nor of being a soldier but he did know that there was a risk that each one of them took by being there. Something that David seemed to love, he tried wishing him well in the battles of incoming militia but it was something about the adrenaline, he said it himself. The fear of losing his life was something he just thought was funny. Death to him seemed like a joke. 

'The Clinking Sound Of Guns And Ammo Clashing Once More,' 

He had said that the sound of guns and shotgun shells clicking together was his favorite calming sound, besides his brother's singing. He would often listen to it when he was home alone. He even tried to get Javier to listen to some, though he didn't know why it was so fascinating to him, he could see why David said he belonged back in the military. Also like, therapy for him. 

'May Your Heart Be Pure As All Can Ever See,' 

He already was when he had sung this to him, pure with a blinding light, inside the darkness of his graphically harmed soldier soul. He would turn when he said these lyrics, give him those irises that he couldn't strip away from. 

'I Wish You The Best My Dear Brother, Put Your Mind At Rest, For I Plea.' 

He'd nuzzle in his neck and fall asleep, but things weren't like they were before. And so, Javier couldn't trust his emotions for the better. They were bound to give him trouble, but it didn't mean he couldn't show them. The silent crying unveiled how silent it was in the room, nothing moved, no one was testing nor taunting him, he hated it. 

While he wasn't ready to bury him yet, he only could kiss and tightly grip what was left of his brother. Nothing major that he thought of, for the time being, nothing he could think that satisfied him more than just a blink, a word, even calling him a gilipollas, he didn't care. He just wanted his brother back. 

Everything hurts. Including his legs, pulsing through the pain while he tried to hug the body back to life, highly obscure. What he would give to make sure that he was okay, what he would have done to slide past their problems, to just feel his heartbeat. Anything. Literally anything. He'd sell his left leg, he'd sacrifice himself, he'd sell body if need be. To just b able to feel the warmth that was supposed to be emitting from his body. But things don't always work out like that, this was a life, a human being. They can't be brought back to life, no matter how much you try to do, once they're gone, that's it. He wondered to himself, how such a simple thing as a vest, brought so much emotion towards the bubbling plane. 

Through the night, the body began to smell and he was forced to finally bury it outside his back yard. He'd left Gabe and Kate for Javier to take care of. He didn't mind it, he just didn't want Kate making any certain moves on his turf. Burying his dog tags and the camo vest with him, he couldn't stand to do this. He wished pa could have still been around to help bury the body. He felt as if he didn't have any support with this, nor anyone to talk to when said and done. He just had to cry it out and move on by himself, talking to Kate about it was something he didn't want to put Kate through. And Gabe? He was just a kid, he didn't need to hear anything more about his father's death. 

As he got up in the morning, he turned his alarm clock off and picked up his phone, long gone on the floor beside his pillow. Shakily, his tears still ran, the dried one printing on his skin. Tapping two times and waiting for his phone to turn on, he saw a notification from his brother. This couldn't have been possible but as he raced to unlock his phone, he flipped through the messages of his brother's, they were sent at...One O'Clock Pm yesterday. That couldn't have been possible. He was confirmed dead yesterday morning, there was no way he could have been sending text messages at one pm. As he looked through them, his heart sank, these messages were uploaded at one pm, not SENT my one pm. His phone service was always backed. 

'Hey, hermano, I have something important to tell you, could you please answer the phone?' 

'Please Javi, I don't have much time left.' 

'I'll just tell you now since you won't answer the damned phone, I may not be able to make it for any holidays, or holidays in the new few years, I'm dying.' 

'Whenever you see this, just know that I love you so much.' 

'I already told Kate and Gabe, comfort them for me please.' 

Javier's swelling, glossy, eyes warming, cracking as he wasn't even there to text back to his dying brother. That hurt like hell, to the point of where he could scream, and he did, legs flailing into the sheets like a child, vocal cords cracking at all angles. Throwing his phone down into the sea of covers he grasped the back of his head, knees sticking together. He wasn't there for his papa and now, his brother's goodbyes. Overrunning his system with fragile contempt, tips fondling with the button-up of his baseball shirt. He had fallen asleep with his clothes up, David's scent tainting his everything. It wasn't the same lively scent, more like a distant salt ocean water smell but nonetheless, David was mixed with it somewhere in between, he could taste it. 

That guilt slew his heart into two parts, one steak cut in half for two people, one pod with two peas. There was no erasing it, it was like a flaw, a splinting prickling in his heart, a thorn on the inside of the stem inside the outside. He would live with it forever now, like a tattoo, but except there was no amount of lasering that could remove the pain and guilt felt around his house. Even though he knew the league needed him by the texts they sent, he couldn't help but stay and lay by his brother's grave. Sobbing into the soil, stomping beside his grave, those tears wouldn't have been able to be held in, his body wouldn't allow it. 

Even though he was head down in the dirt, he sensed the presence of another living organism around. This was his private property, who dared to try and intervene with something that had nothing to do with them? Another way of dragging himself down by the grave, he couldn't help but feel as if whoever it was, was someone willing to end his life so he could live in paradise with his brother. He just wanted to be close to him, he wanted to be with him, feel his hands guiding his body in the directions HE wanted. But as he looked up, he could see a bright, gleaming outline of someone that he never thought he'd see again. 

"Don't cry over me." He asked, slinging his left radius and ulna (The two bones that make up the forearm) towards Javier, Javier took it with shrunken pupils. A gentle smile, relaxed eyebrows, and half-lidded mahogany eyes creasing at him. Standing back, his heated, sodium-induced tears flayed his cheekbones. Slender fingers climbing higher up the forearm to the other's cheeks. 

"O-Of course I-I'm gonna c-cry over y-you, w-what do you m-mean?!" Javier was taken by the hips and pulled in as the latter chuckled and rested his arms on Javier's backside, the baseball player's head tilting as he grinned through the tears. 

"You don't need to, brother, I'm all washed up now, nothing else left." He kissed Javier's lips lightly, his legs wrapping over his brother's. Both boys colliding their love in punishable ways. Racking hairs that stood tall on their napes, feathering up and down the smalls flicking. 

"N-Nothing else?! You're my everything David, you bought me everything that I needed to live but you I-I didn't h-have time to pay b-back the favor!-" 

In seconds, the outlined hand also gave the warmest impression of life that Javier could ever feel. David's palms fuzzled Javier's hair, rolling the short, slick sleeves of dark brunette over his knuckles. 

"You don't need to repay me for anything, I just want you to live your life Javier, and just, make sure Gabe and Kate are okay, alright?" David touched his bottom lip, Javier tearing his gaze away and feeling his chest, rearing back to the sound that wasn't there. The beat, the thumping, and the bumping. There was nothing there, but the body was warm, was there a pulse? Javier ignored David's question and pressed two fingers to his brother's neck, feeling nothing as well. David palmed his brother's two fingers while he just stood in tears and complexity, pushing them away. 

"Javi...I...I'm dead, I'm not here, I won't give you false hope, I'm gone." He shook his head, lips curving down into a pathetic frown. Javier nodded slowly, lashes crashing with each other, he wouldn't cry in front of him, he wouldn't. Just like he refused to cry in front of David's soldiers. He had to let him know about that, he should be proud. Javier broke away, turning his back to the illusion of his glowing brother. 

"I d-didn't cry in front of t-them, l-like you asked." A drop of rain, running down the stairs of the starry sky, the stairs invisible to the naked human eye, lucid to the galaxy and dimensions it contains. Pouring fastly after, the two stood in the shivering rain, though Javier didn't seem to care. Though with David, the rain only passed through his spiritual image, proof, the body was no longer there, but how could Javier feel and touch him if it weren't? Was he fading amidst the speaking? 

"My soldiers?" He asked while moving closer to his brother, Javier must have had a world of pain to deal with. 

"Y-Yea, I-I...Isn't t-that what you wanted?" Javier turned to see David's arms crossed over his chest. 

"I was joking when I said that." David chuckled as Javier gave him a gentle look. 

"I can't tell when you joke because you look serious either way." Javier's waist was cuddled and his head nuzzled into David's chest once again. 

"I bet you're so happy to be away from my abuse, huh?" His younger brother looked up at him with fierce disgrace in his eyes. 

"I-I'd g-give a-anything t-to have you hit me again, t-to feel your heartbeat, t-to feel y-your p-pulse, a-anything, David." when David heard that, he could feel the drowning of his pupils in the rising salt, he didn't know illusions could cry and neither did Javier. 

"You...Y-You would?" He looked in Javier's truthful, award-winning eyes. 

"Y-Yes! N-No matter how m-many t-times i-it takes, I-I'll d-do it again if need be!" Javier bitterly looked back at his brother, sharing another kiss, one filled with guilt and security, they've never felt this secure around each other before, this was the first time. And of course, the first time had to be a fucking illusion, an image figmentation from his abysmal mind. 

"I love you, brother." David whispered into his ear as he let his forehead fall flat on his brother's baseball sleeve while Javier hiccuped, snot drizzling down his soft, dark pink lip. 

"I-I lo-love y-you to-too, b-brother! D-Don't g-go ye-yet, p-plea-please!" Javier clung to his clothes as David detangled himself from the home running king, Javier didn't let go, short nails clawing at the pant leg of his brother. David couldn't stand this, he never should have revealed himself, that was a mistake. His brother wouldn't be hurting as bad as he was before. He regrets talking to him, it would only worsen the pain for him. What was he thinking? 

"Javi...I have to." David kicked his fingers off of him until they reached his boot, slipping to stay underweight as if the kick wasn't enough. The screams and the hiccups soon began to air, coating the older man with feverish infuriation and a worldwide trip of resentment. He could see the makeshift tombstone cracking open and releasing a contamination of senses. 

"N-Not y-yet....A-A l-little l-longer, p-please!" Javi cried out but to no avail. 

"Don't keep me waiting up here for too long, brother." David's boots left little marks in the muddy grass, flooding through the slips of grass, the print disappeared after ten seconds of flooding. Javier, crawling now, mud staining his shirt as he dragged his stomach across the plain to reach his brother, along with his pants and his shoes. Hair trickling with precipitation's child(Water), he screamed and shouted bloody mary for David to stay. He knew this would be the downfall of seeing him one last time, alive, that smile on his face, those lips curling inward, the dominant pressure on his abdomen, it would never be carried out again. 

"Remember, I'm always here in spirit, brother. Te quierdo, mi dulce hermano. (I love you, my sweet brother.)" 

"D-David n-no, N-No, N-NO! P-POR F-FAVOR,*Hiccup* QUEDATE!(Please, stay!)" He began speaking and pleading in full Spanish, something he'd do only when he was desperate, no one truly had heard him speak a full sentence in their birth learned language. But if they did, they'd probably be knocked off their feet in minutes, his voice was so smooth and light, but dark and rumbly around the edges, perfect for someone who sings just like himself. 

"Vive para mi.(Live for me.)" He said while disappearing into the light of the stoned tomb, Javier reaching out but only to see the tomb's crack sealing itself back up. He dragged along the squashing sound of the grass and muddy earth, the rain crashing down harder on Javier's back, soaking him completely. 

"DAVID!!" Javier called out but hearing nothing, the sound of crickets, frogs hopping around enjoying the spray of rain. He stayed, laid by the grave all day and night long, the clothes were still on, he didn't care if he got a rash from the mud, he didn't care if the ants bit him to all hell. It wouldn't bring back his brother, and that's the only thing he wanted. That vest brought this on him. As soon as he received it, there were questions. Javier asked why they would bring the vest and not his brother with the vest ON, he was so foolish to think that he was getting out of this without any harm done. Why did David let his presence be known? 

He couldn't bring himself to leave the house, nor to eat, nor sleep, or shower. Just sit. Sitting outside of the back, covered in mud and the insects very inconsiderately munching on his skin. To know through this problem that it had been only just a hugging of that damned vest. He wished he could have kept it, at least would remind him of David, but now, there was nothing that could help remind him, no daily text or call from anyone except his brother would be enough to bring him back from that dark spot. He knew this day would come but he didn't know it would have come so soon. 

Maybe this was a way to release David from his life, or was this a punishment for what they had done together? It's better for Javier to think that it was David releasing himself. In a way that harmed everyone around, no one was safe from the clattering shock wave of heartfelt weight. Neither Kate and Gabe, so when he had a knock on his door, he wasn't surprised when Gabe had jerked the door open and bust the door down. He could hear the sound of the door being bust down. The arms palming his head and eyes crushed with a certain defeat, to not be seen was his main priority, but staying attached to the headstone of the grave when Kate tried pulling him away. 

After begging him to get into the shower and a change of clean clothes, they asked, how long had he been out there for. Hair roaming with ants and mixed with dirt, eyes long lost their sparkle. fingernails rigged with soil and scum from the ground. Well, before the shower that was, he looked like good ol' Javier Garcia he used to be just three days ago, but, there was no grin, no cheeky smile, just an awaiting clump of sitting cold prediction. 

"Two days, the day before yesterday, and yesterday." His cheekbones almost were caving in. Kate was worried while Gabe just gave him crude looks. 

"W-Why would you do that? Y-You could've hurt yourself out there!" He knew Gabe was correct about that, and he also knew that David wouldn't have wanted Gabe to be the one to tell Javier this, but look at how things turned out. 

"That's the point-..N-No, I-I'm fine, Gabie, truly, uncle Javi will be fine." Javier smiled down at his sweet nephew before his nephew punched his arm and shook his head. Kate standing by the bathroom mirror, holding Javier's shampoo bottle and muddy clothes. 

"I'm not a child anymore Javier, I know more than you think. You miss him." Gabe knew. Somehow, he knew, through the ups and the downs, the confusion licking all over his face, he scrunched his eyes to the side of Gabe instead of at him. He couldn't bear to face him now that he was already aware. 

"We understand, if you'd just talk to u-" Kate's voice was cut by Javier's arms reaching the door handle and swinging it open. Grabbing the clothes that Kate held and his shampoo, he began to walk outside of the bathroom and into the living room. The two, sister-in-law and nephew following behind. 

"I don't w-want to talk about anything with anyone. It's not gonna bring him back, so what's the point of talking about it?!" He complained, striding to the washing machine and the dryer, he quickly took to grasping the lid, throwing his muddy clothes into the washing machine, slamming the lid back down. He'd deal with them later, he didn't want to do anything, nor be around anyone. He wanted them to leave, right, now. 

"It helps if you air out everything, the league is so worried that they called me, you gotta at least tell them that you're okay, Javi-" Kate's fingers slid across Javier's blue long sleeve that he used as a substitute, but as she did, Javier whipped around and slapped her hand away. 

"I don't want you or anyone here right now, I don't care what the league thinks, I-I want to be alone, alone with him." Javier gestured to the back door as he pointed to the front for the two of them to leave. 

"U-Uncle Javi, c'mon, I know it's hard, it's hard on all of us. But if we could just-" Gabe tried this time, but was stopped again, Javier's gentle push on his back to be cast towards the front door. 

"Gabe, please. Uncle Javi needs to be alone right now." Javier sterned as Kate shook her head and turned to face him. 

"Are you fucking serious? My husband just died, your nephew and I are trying to help you and you just cast us away?! I never knew this side of you was apparent Javi." She began to get angry as Javier's body blocked them from trying to even come back inside of his house. 

"Oh, yea?! Well, he was my brother!" He watched Kate stepped close, rolling up her sleeves as she put her braid behind her neck. 

"And he was Gabe's dad!-" She pointed down at Gabe as Javier leaned closer, wraith painting his features. 

"S-STOP!" Gabe slid between the two before Kate began to slap, and Javier would have taken it, he didn't hit or strike women. 

Soon after, Gabe and Kate left, but not without cursing Javier out, letting it rip from each of them. Javier couldn't care any less, he was just happy that they were gone and soon quickly slammed the front door closed. Locking the door, tears flying from his irises as he gnawed on pinned guilt, running outside the back, he saw the print that he had left in the dirt by David's grave. legs curled to meet the stomach lining, head tucked tightly in between, arms over the front of his body as if to protect him from whatever he thought may have been troubling him. But he never knew that the thing bothering him was himself not accepting his brother's death.


End file.
